Grantees Since 2021
The BASE Chicago reimagines pathways to success for West Side youth by combining baseball and softball instruction with academics, STEM tutoring, violence prevention, and life-skills training. The organization serves student-athletes and families facing barriers related to poverty, education, and employment. Its goal is for 100% of BASE student-athletes to graduate high school with an individualized plan for college or career.
Beat the Streets Chicago uses wrestling to build grit, resilience, and character in youth ages 5–18 across seven Chicago sites and more than 20 CPS schools. Beyond wrestling instruction, its year-round Life Champions Academy layers on tutoring, summer camps, and wraparound support. The organization reports it serves over 1,800 wrestlers and 4,500 youth total each year.
North Lawn Athletic and Recreation Association partners with community organizations, coaches, and volunteers to bring quality youth sports programming to North Lawndale. Founded in 2017, it works to ensure every young person in the community can "play, have fun and grow" in safe, trauma-informed environments. The organization has trained dozens of coaches in trauma-informed practices and reports a 260% increase in girls' participation.
OWLS Lacrosse combines lacrosse, mentorship, and academic support for youth from elementary through high school in historically underserved Chicago communities. Its programming spans school-based outreach, a Junior Academy for middle schoolers, and an Academy Scholars track offering year-round academic support and college/career guidance for high schoolers. The mission is to "empower youth by opening pathways to growth and opportunity."
Girls in the Game runs sports, health, and leadership programs that build confidence and voice in girls, with particular focus on girls of color facing systemic inequities. The organization aims to help every girl "find her voice, discover her strength, and lead with confidence" while working toward broader gender equity. Reported outcomes include 89% of participants identifying as leaders and increased classroom participation.
Chicago Training Center uses competitive rowing, offered at no cost, to build fitness, teamwork, and leadership in Chicago students in grades 7–12. The program is built on the belief that "every young person deserves the chance to discover their potential." Beyond athletics, CTC supports participants' broader educational and life goals.
The XS Tennis and Education Foundation provides tennis instruction and academic resources to underserved Chicago youth alongside its public tennis facility. Programming is designed to build a sustainable junior development pathway while pairing athletic training with academic support. The foundation partners with schools and corporations to expand access to the sport.
Chicago Westside Sports offers free youth baseball, basketball, and archery in high-crime, under-resourced West Side neighborhoods, paired with mentorship from coaches and community leaders. It aims to create safe spaces where families build relationships and communities come together to address issues like gun violence and inequality.
The Bloc is a free boxing club serving youth in North Lawndale, Garfield Park, Austin, and Humboldt Park, pairing boxing instruction with mentorship and tutoring. Its philosophy is that youth who come to learn to fight ultimately learn how to fight for their success. The organization reports a 100% high school graduation and college acceptance rate among its participants.
Intentional Sports operates a 10-acre campus on Chicago's West Side offering soccer, baseball, basketball, and esports programming, including the city's largest indoor turf field. It exists to make sports accessible to youth who are otherwise far more likely to quit due to cost, delivering "opportunities in sports, wellness, and education... rooted in excellence, respect, and service." The organization is explicitly committed to inspiring Chicago's youth through sport.
ABC Pilsen pairs basketball training with tutoring and mentorship for more than 100 youth per week in Pilsen and nearby West Side neighborhoods facing economic hardship and gentrification pressure. Under its "Academics through Athletics" model, it builds confidence and leadership on the court while encouraging academic achievement off it. The goal is to give local kids a safe, stable community space and a path to healthy life choices.
CBEA gives Chicago youth access to high-quality baseball and fastpitch softball instruction paired with education programming, much of it based on the University of Illinois Chicago campus. The organization works to help participants see themselves as college-bound scholar-athletes. It focuses on building belonging and encouraging young people to pursue ambitious goals.
East Side Little League provides organized youth baseball and softball for kids in Chicago's East Side neighborhood, following the national Little League model of building character, teamwork, and sportsmanship through the sport. The league maintains its own fields and runs seasonal play for area youth.
BUILD Chicago is a gang-intervention, violence-prevention, and youth-development organization serving over 6,500 West Side Chicago youth and families each year. Since 1969, it has provided free services spanning gang detachment, school support, mental health care, career coaching, arts, and sports. Its mission is "to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures."
Box United runs "Fight Like a Girl," a free boxing and social-emotional learning program for girls ages 10–18 across CPS schools, Catholic schools, and community spaces in Chicago. The program is designed to help girls discover their strength, confidence, and power through boxing and leadership development. All programming is offered at no cost to participants.
First Tee Greater Chicago integrates golf instruction with a life-skills curriculum for youth and teens across the region. The program is built to develop "inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do." Its stated goal is building game-changers through junior golf programming that extends into school, friendships, and future careers.
That Harper Kid serves South Side youth and families from early childhood through high school through three programs: a basketball/flag-football academy, community events, and a mentorship track. It aims to "build champions for life by using sports as a platform to develop confident leaders, strong character, academic achievement, healthy lifestyles, and lifelong success." Its framework centers on educating, empowering, and enhancing the lives of participants.
Urban Initiatives uses sport and play to help Chicago youth build academic success, social-emotional skills, and social capital, reaching roughly 100,000 CPS students across 80+ schools. Eighty-seven percent of participants qualify based on financial need. The organization also trains educators and coaches in play-based, healing-centered approaches to youth development.
Boxing Out Negativity provides free boxing training paired with mentorship and civic engagement for Chicago's most at-risk youth, particularly on the West Side, working in schools, community spaces, and even Cook County Jail. Its goal is to "empower youth and build safer communities" by fostering self-respect and purpose. The organization's core aim is preventing the next generation from experiencing the struggles of gang involvement and street violence.
MetroSquash runs a 12-year academic, athletic, and enrichment pathway for more than 400 Chicago-area students across its Woodlawn and Evanston sites, combining competitive squash with rigorous academic support. Its mission is to "empower students to realize their potential and make their mark." The organization reports strong outcomes in college enrollment and persistence among its graduates.
Chicago Street Soccer operates futsal training for kids ages 4 and up at four skill levels, from beginner to competitive, emphasizing ball control, creativity, and technique in small-sided play. Its goal is to create a place where kids feel free to love the game while developing their footwork and improvisation. The program serves families across the Chicago area.
The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) is a community-based organization serving Brighton Park, McKinley Park, and New City on Chicago's Southwest Side. It combines social and economic programming — youth services, adult education, senior support, economic inclusion, and business development — under a holistic, "Creating a Better Place" approach. BYNC positions itself as a comprehensive resource for both social welfare and economic development in its community.
Juice Hoops Foundation uses basketball as a vehicle for youth development, with particular focus on underserved and neurodiverse youth and their families. Its "Play & Learn" curriculum and flagship "Neuro Heroes" program combine athletic training with social-emotional learning and sensory-friendly, adaptive sports experiences. The foundation's goal is to "instill confidence, teach life lessons, and foster relationships that lead to greater opportunities for all."
Peace Runners 773 offers free walking, running, and fitness programming — including a Couch to 5K track — for residents of all ages in Chicago's West Garfield Park area. The organization tackles community health challenges like obesity, low life expectancy, and mental health through a "family style" model of collective accountability. In 2025 alone, its members collectively ran more than 75,000 miles across underserved West Side communities.
Chicago Area Alternative Education League (CAAEL) brings athletic and activity programming into the school day for at-risk and special-education students at alternative schools across 16 Illinois counties. Its mission is to "empower students and teachers in alternative schools by integrating athletic and academic programs into the school day, fostering personal growth and responsibility." The organization uses attendance, academic, and behavioral incentives tied to sports participation to drive engagement.
UNO is a Chicago nonprofit whose youth-empowerment programming includes GirlsMPowered and RunHer, offering mentorship, leadership development, and physical activity for girls in grades 6–12, centered in the Archer Heights/South Side area.
Boss Nation Cheer offers All-Star competitive cheer, recreational cheer, and skills clinics for young athletes of all backgrounds and abilities. It aims to build confidence, resilience, and leadership through cheerleading, framing itself as development-focused rather than trophy-focused. Its stated goal is to "elevate athleticism, instill confidence, and promote strong character" while creating an inclusive, belonging-centered environment.